Back in competition this week at the Vuelta a Burgos, Bastien Tronchon and Clément Berthet both delivered encouraging performances over the first two stages on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bastien Tronchon showcased his punchy finishing speed to claim ninth place on the opening day, while Clément Berthet was up there in the first major test for the climbers by taking 11th place in stage two. The overall standings are expected to take much clearer shape on Thursday.
Alongside the Tour de Pologne, Groupama-FDJ United are also racing on a second front this week at the Tour of Burgos. Traditionally used as the final rehearsal before the Vuelta a España, the Spanish stage race got underway with an explosive opening stage. After a rolling route, the finish line was indeed located at the summit of the Alto del Castillo (900 metres at 6%), on the heights of Burgos. As expected, the finish suited the sprinters-puncheurs. “The plan was to back Bastien while also making sure Clément didn’t lose any time with the general classification in mind,” explained Benoît Vaugrenard. Through the fast and technical approach to the final climb, the French squad worked to position its protected rider as well as possible. Although Bastien Tronchon entered the climb near the front of the bunch, he was unable to move closer to the leading positions on the opening slopes, which were ridden at a fast pace. It was only inside the final 300 metres that he managed to gain a few places and secure ninth at the finish, with Matthew Brennan taking the stage victory. “If he’d been a little better positioned going into the final corner, he might have been able to finish around sixth or seventh, but probably not much higher,” said Benoît. “It’s still a very good comeback. Since the 4 Days of Dunkerque, because of his injury, he’s only raced the French National Championships. This result is a real confidence boost, especially in a race that’s close to WorldTour level. Clément also finished safely in the main bunch, so it was a good day overall.”
“A good comeback for Clément” – Benoît Vaugrenard
On Wednesday, the peloton headed towards Valle del Sol, with a final climb of 3.5 kilometres at 7.5%. This time, Groupama-FDJ United was fully committed to supporting its French climber. “We knew it was going to be a pure uphill finish,” said Benoît. “We expected the peloton to arrive together at the foot of the climb and that the stage would probably be decided by a small group sprinting for the win. The goal was simply to hang on for as long as possible.” Dropped off by his teammates in a good position on the lower slopes, Clément Berthet remained consistently at the front while the peloton gradually thinned out from the back. With 1.5 kilometres remaining, he even moved into the top ten, but was unable to follow the decisive move that came around 600 metres from the finish. “A small gap opened at that moment. I think he hesitated a bit, but he still finished very strongly,” Benoît explained. “He’s where we expected him to be: 11th on the stage and 12th overall. More importantly, he’s right on the pace. We know what happened to him during the Tour, and he has raced very little since the start of the season, so this is a very encouraging return. It’s also positive looking ahead, both for Burgos and for the Vuelta.” Now sitting 16 seconds behind new race leader Oscar Onley, Clément Berthet still faces two decisive stages this week as he looks to secure a strong overall result. “We know tomorrow’s final climb is extremely demanding, and there will be significant time gaps,” Benoît concluded. “We’ll have a much clearer picture after that. Once again, the goal will be to stay as close as possible to the very best, and then we’ll see where we stand.”
